Thermal insulating blanket for concrete curing



I. H. KATZ THERMAL INSULATING BLANKET FOR CONCRETE CURING Dec. 22, 1964 Filed Sept. 4. 1962 ,M m47. w, m//f/M. Maf. Z .MM

United States Patent O 3,162,566 THEPJWAL NSULATMG BLANKET FOR CQNCRETE CURENG lsadore H. Katz, 312 S. New .lcrsey St., indianapolis, 1nd. Filed Sept. 4, 1962, Ser. No. 221,179 3 Claims. (Cl. 161-43) This invention relates generally to insulating covering or blankets of the type used in cold weather curing of concrete and in particular to an improved blanket of this type having interior facing elements which prevent slumping or displacement of the fibrous insulating material within the exterior tube.

In the curing of concrete poured in cold weather it is conventional to use thermal insulating blankets. The type disclosed in U.S. Patent 2,927,626, utilizing a glass fibre component within a closed outer tube of polyethylene, is effective to retain heat in newly poured concrete for an extended period of time even in sub-freezing weather. Since the blanket does not absorb moisture, moisture is retained in the concrete to assure proper curing. Blankets of the type referred to above, however, suffer from certain inherent defects. For example, since the glass fibre component is 'loose within the outer tube, the glass libre has a tendency to slump or become dis placed within the tube, particularly after repeated use. Gluing or otherwise adhering the glass fibre component to one or both inner slide surfaces of the outer tube prevents slumping, however, because of the direct adherence of the glass fibre to the tube, the fibres are undesirably broken and air billows the tube when the blanket is rolled during lanket assembly. With the glass fibre component adhered directly to the tube walls, stressing and fractur ing of the flores progressively occurs each time the blanket is rolled for storage after use .and the service life of the blanket is substantially shortened.

The structure of the present invention solves this difculty by adhering at least one, but preferably both, side faces of the glass libre component to a sheet of thin flexible material, preferably polyethylene. The sheets extend a short distance beyond the end margins of the glass bre component and the end flaps or tails thus formed extend through the tube ends after the blanket is assem bled and are fastened to the tube in the tube end sealing operation.

The primary object of the present invention is to pro vide a thermal insulating blanket having a flexible, waterproof outer tube enclosing a fibrous insulating component in which the insulating component is secured within the tube so as to prevent slumping or displacement and breaking of the bre-s when the blanket is initially assembled and during subsequent use of the blanket.

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FG. 1 is a perspective view of a concrete curing blanket embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary view taken generally along the lin 2 2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary View taken generally along the line 3 3 of FIG. l.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary view similar to FIG. 3 but showing a modified form of the construction.

Referring initially to FlGS. 1, 2 and 3, an insulating blanket embodying the present invention comprises a flattened, flexible and moisture impervious tube 1t?, havin nd areas lila. The tube 1t?, as previously mentioned is formed of a flexible and moisture impervious material, polyethylene of approximately eight mil thickness being the preferred material.

3,l62,55b Patented Dec. 22., 1964 ice Within the tube is an insulating component comprising a section of cohesive, fibrous material 11, the section being sized so as to substantially fill all of the tube except for themarginal end areas 10a. While any 10W density, flexible thermal insulating material might be used, the preferred material is glass fibre which can be commercially obtained in hat or slab form, one commercially available material being Owens-Coming Fiberglas.

As may best be seen in FIG. 2, each of the major surfaces, that is, the top and bottom surfaces of the insulating material 11 has adhered thereto a sheet of thin, ilexible material indicated at 12. While any strong but ilexible material might be utilized, the preferred material is sheet polyethylene. The sheets 12 extend beyond the end margins 12a of the insulating material to provide flaps 13 extending between the adjacent marginal end areas lila of the tube. The flaps 13 and the adjacent marginal tube end areas 10a are thus arranged in stacked relation and the ends of the tube are sealed and the flaps secured to the tube surfaces by sealing together the stacked elements as indicated at 14 in FIG. 2. While the seal may be formed by any suitable means, where polyethylene is used as the material for forming the sheets 12 and the tube 1l), the seal may be formed by heat and pressure applied at the junctional area.

The blanket may be assembled by inserting the insulating material 11, with the sheets 12 adhered to its two major surfaces, into the open-ended tube 10. The marginal end areas at one end of the tube and the interposed ilaps 13 may then be sealed together transversely across the blanket. Air is then exhausted from the assembly by rolling the blanket from its sealed edge or by any other suitable means and the other marginal end areas of the tube and adjacent flaps 13 may be sea-led together. When so assembled it will be evident that the insulating component of the blanket is anchored at its ends to the outer tube so that the insulating material cannot slump within the tube either upon the initial rolling or in subsequent repeated use. The service life of the blanket is thus materially improved. It should further be noted that, as will be particularly evident from FIGS. 2 and 3, although the insulating material is anchored within the tube the outer faces of the sheets 12 and the inner faces of the tube 10, intermediate the ends of the blanket, are not attached to each other and may shift or be displaced relative to each other. Because of this ability of the insulating component to shift somewhat within the tube, it will be evident that in rolling of the blanket, which necessarily distorts somewhat the outer tube 1t), the silght displacement of the outer faces of the sheets 12 with relation to the inner faces of the tube 10 prevent stressing and fracturing of the fibres of the insulating material 11. Thus, the desirable anchoring feature is maintained without the stressing and fracturing of the fibres of the insulating material 11 as would occur if the insulating material 11 Were glued directly to the inner surfaces of the tube 10 itself.

Referring now to FIG. 4 a modified form of the structure is shown which differs from that shown in FIGS. 1-3 in that a flexible sheet, identified at 12b, is adhered to only one of the major surfaces of the insulating material 11. The flaps formed by the extension of the sheet 12b beyond the end margins of the insulating material 11 are sealed to the end marginal areas of the tube 10 as described with reference to FIG. 2. It will be understood that this structure provides the anchoring feature referred to above and permits displacement of the insulating material intermediate its ends within the tube. The proteotion provided the fibres of the insulating material against abrasion and breakage is of course somewhat diminished as compared to the structure of FIGS. 1-3.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail in the drawing'sand foregoing descripton, they are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in character, as other modifications may readily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within the broad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:

1. An insulating blanket consisting of a attened, flexible and moisture impervious tube 'formed of polyethylene, an insulating componentcomprising a 'section `of cohesive, Iibrous'material sized so as to substantially ll all of said tube except the marginal end areas thereof, a sheet of thin, flexible polyethylene adhered yto each of the major surfaces of said fibrous material section, said sheets extending beyond the end margins of the ibrous material -section to provide stacked 'flaps extending between the adjacent marginal end areas of the tube, the Stacked ila'ps and adjacent marginal end areas at each end of the tube being sealed together to provide an enclosure for the vinsulating component, `whereby said insulating componentV is anchored at its ends vto said tube but can shift intermediate its ends upon distortion of the tube.

2. An insulating blanket consisting of a flattened, ilexible and moisture impervious tube formed of polyethylene, `anfinsulatingcomponent comprising a section of cohesive, fibrous material sized so as to substantially'll Vall of said tube except .the marginal end areas thereof, a sheet of thin, iiexible' polyethylene adheredto atleast one of the major surfaces of said fibrous material section, said sheet v extending beyond the end margins of the tibi-ous ymaterial section to provide flaps extending between and beyond the marginal end areas of the tube, the llap and marginal end areas at each end of the tube being sealed together to provide an enclosure for the insulating component, whereby said insulating `component is anchored at its ends to said tube but can shiftintermediate its ends upon distortion of the tube. v

3. An'insulating blanket consisting of a flattened, ilexible and moisture impervious tube, an insulating componentcomprising a section of cohesive, iibrous material sized so as to substantially fill all of said tube except the marginal end areas thereof, a sheet of thin exible material adhered to at least one lof the major surfaces of said Viibrous material section, said sheet extending beyond the en'd margins of the fibrous material section to' provide flaps extendingV between and beyond the marginal end areasof the tube, the ap and marginal end areasatea-cll end of the tubebeing sealed together to provide an enclosure for the insulating component, whereby said insulating component is anchored at its ends to said tube but can shift intermediate its ends upon distortion ofthe tube.

References Cited by the Examiner Y, UNTED STATES PATENTS 2,779,066

EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner. Monats sUssMAN, Examiner. 

1. AN INSULATING BLANKET CONSITING OF A FLATTENED, FLEXIBLE AND MOISTURE IMPERVIOUS TUBE FORMED OF POLYETHYLENE, AN INSULATING COMPONENT COMPRISING A SECTION OF COHESIVE, FIBROUS MATERIAL SIZED SO AS TO SUBSTANTIALY FILL ALL OF SAID TUBE EXCEPT THE MARGINAL END AREAS THEREOF, A SHEET OF THIN, FLEXIBLE POLYETHYLENE ADHERED TO EACH OF THE MAJOR SURFACES OF SAID FIBROUS MATERIAL SECTION, SAID SHEETS EXTENDING BEYOND THE END MARGINS OF THE FIBROUS MATERIAL SECTION TO PROVIDE STACKED FLAPS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ADJACENT MARGINAL END AREAS OF THE TUBE, THE STACKED FLAPS AND ADJACENT MARGINAL END AREAS AT EACH END OF THE TUBE BEING SEALED TOGETHER TO PROVIDE AN ENCLOSURE FOR THE INSULATING COMPONENT, WHEREBY SAID INSULATING COMPONENT IS ANCHORED AT ITS ENDS TO SAID TUBE BUT CAN SHIFT INTERMEDIATE ITS ENDS UPON DISTORTION OF THE TUBE. 